When the stipend support comes to an end in the 4th medical school year:
Your commitment through the academic year (4th year of medical school) will extend until the end of your academic training, assuming that you remain a full-time student in good standing.
Although the day of the graduation ceremony in mid-May might seem logical as a termination point, it is in fact a ceremonial moment, rather than one that signifies the genuine end of academic effort. Some students are engaged in clerkships in May that go beyond that day; some even take a short clerkship in June to meet the graduation requirements. On the other end, some students end their academic effort earlier and take time off for personal pleasure (i.e. vacation).
Accordingly, I would like to clarify that the purpose of the stipend provided by the Dean is to support academic effort connected to the MSTP program here at SBU / CSHL / BNL, and the stipend support needs to come to end when the academic effort comes to an end.
Academic effort is defined as:
1) Being registered for a clinical clerkship.
2) Being registered for a 4th year elective involving research (e.g. returning to your thesis
lab to complete experiments or a paper).
3) Anything else that can be defended as qualifying as a legitimate academic activity (note - discussion / evidence will need to be presented in support of non-registered activities to qualify them).
Note for #3: "Preparing for residency position" does not qualify, and some forms of off-site research would not either. Such issues should be discussed in advance with the Co-Directors.
On a related note, some students have asked if it raises problems for them to have a non-scheduled month or two in Dec. / Jan. to go on residency interviews and use the balance of the time to pursue research effort in their thesis lab. As far as I am concerned, this is justifiable, and should be considered ok. It would help though to be able to describe the academic effort being undertaken to the medical school if asked, and if you say that you are doing research, then your advisor should be knowledgeable about this if queried.
Please let me know if you have any questions about the above policy or suggestions for modification.
thanks, Mike
Commencement: TBA
If you will not be engaged in a clerkship after May's Commencement date, your stipend support will be terminated effectively on Graduation at the end of business day (assuming you are engaged in academic effort up until graduation, approximately). If your clerkship ends before commencement, your stipend will be terminated on the last day of your clerkship, at the close of business.
Termination From Health Insurance Coverage:
Upon a student's appointment (GAs, RAs, or TAs) termination as an employee, the student will have 28 days of continuing coverage of his/her health insurance coverage, then COBRA kicks in. COBRA is retroactive for 60 days for eligibility as long as he/she enrolls in COBRA within 60 days of his/her old coverage, which offers the opportunity for additional temporary extension of your health insurance benefits.
As a Fellow, students do not get 28 days extended coverages. Please inquire about the COBRA coverage.
Additional information regarding COBRA can be viewed at the Human Resources COBRA link. If you need further clarification, please e-mail Kristen at the below e-mail address.
Kristen Blandi
Benefits Administrator
Administration Building, Room 390
Stony Brook, NY 11794-0751
P- 1-631-632-6180
F- 1-631-632-1350
Kristen.Blandi@stonybrook.edu
